Absorbent pad holder and web for the production thereof



R. N. SA BEE 3,509,881

ABSORBENT PAD HOLDER AND WEB FOR THE PRODUCTION THEREOF May 5, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 28, 1967 VIII/l/II 1 1141 INVENT'O z IQLFINHHRDT N. :Snzza 5! W M, I

ATTORNIIS May 5, 1970 R. N. SABEE 3,509,881

ABSORBENT PAD HOLDER AND WEB FOR THE PRODUCTION THEREOF Filed March 28, 1967 a Sheets-Sheet 2 /0 INVE TOR EEINHHRDT A! 5955a ATTOENEY$ United States O 3,509,881 Patented May 5, 1970 3,509,881 ABSORBENT PAD HOLDER AND WEB FOR THE PRODUCTION THEREOF Reinhardt N. Sabee, 728 S. Summit St., Appleton, Wis. 54911 Filed Mar. 28, 1967, Ser. No. 626,537 Int. Cl. A61f 13/16 U.S. Cl. 128287 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A web of water-impervious material is made by ex trusion to provide integrally formed relatively heavy edge portions and relatively thin central portions. The strength of the corner portions of the web is such that pins may be anchored therein without tearing the web. A pad is centrally positioned on the web either by adhesion of the web, or by a separate line of adhesive, or by separately fabricated moisture-pervious means. Desirably, it is preferred that the web have spaced lateral cuts in its side margins leaving anchorage tabs at its corners, regardless of the construction of the Web per se. These cuts form tongues which are folded over the pad, first, to anchor the pad, secondly, to confine moisture at the sides thereof, and thirdly, to facilitate fitting the diaper between the legs of the user, the arrangement also being such that the overall length may be modified to fit individuals of differing sizes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention makes possible very substantial savings in production of devices of the character described. In the past, several plies have been used and these have frequently been made of differing materials severally to provide tensile strength as Well as a moisture impervious backing. Greatly increased thickness of the basic web receives and holds safety pins such as are commonly used in diapers and makes it unnecessary to employ either woven or non-woven fabric to anchor such pins.

The absorbent pad may be positioned on the improved web in a variety of ways, only three of which are illustrated to exemplify the invention. The overall design is such that the resulting product, such as a diaper, may be lengthened or shortened to fit babies of differing sizes, thereby eliminating the stocking of numerous sizes of diapers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION There are many uses for the disclosed web other than the support of pads for absorbing body secretions. Accordingly, the first aspect of the invention consists in the provision of a Web which is made by extrusion to provide side portions which, throughout the length of the web, are of a thickness greatly in excess of the central portions of the Web. In the instant exemplification of the invention, Whether or not the web is made by extrusion as above described, changes are made in the basic web in the course of its advance to facilitate its use for the particular purposes of the support of a pad. To this end, the sides of the web are desirably, though not necessarily, provided with inwardly extending slits which separate the laterally projecting anchoring tabs and form notches. The intermediate tongues may be folded over the centrally mounted pad to assist in the anchorage thereof and to confine accumulations in the pad. The notches between slits are convenient to accommodate the legs of an individual to whom the pad is to be applied.

Because it is desirable, in individuals of diiferent sizes, to vary the overall length of the backing web, I contemplate folding portions of the backing web transversely either to overlie the ends of the pad or at least to reduce the overall length of the Web. Another feature of the invention is the use of a generally fiat ply or an entubing ply adherent to the backing web as a means of positioning the absorbent pad on the backing web.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the end portion of an improved extruded web embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary detail view in perspective showing a portion of such Web after a mounting ply and entubed longitudinally spaced pads have been attached to the basic web.

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective showing a completed diaper embodying the invention.

FIG. 4 is a view taken in section on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary detail view similar to FIG. 4 showing a modification.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary detail view similar to FIG. 2 showing a modification.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a diaper embodying the invention.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the diaper shown in FIG. 7 as it appears when shortened to fit a smaller child.

FIG. 9 is a view in side elevation of the diaper shown in FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The backing web 10 is continuously extruded from a die which corresponds precisely to the desired cross section. It is not necessary to illustrate the die since the cross sectional form is shown in the end elevation appearing in FIG. 1. The side portions 12 and 14 are materially thicker than the central portion 16. The stronger the material, the thinner the web may be. Thus it will be understood that particulars given are by way of example and not by way of limitation. In a particular device embodying the invention, the backing web 10 has a central portion 16 of .00035 to .003 in thickness whereas the side portions 12 and 14 may have a thickness of .00125 to .010. Obviously, it is only necessary to change the form of the die to produce central and side portions of any desired relative thickness.

The absorbent pads exemplified by the pads shown at 18 in FIGS. 2 and 3 will be fed in mutually longitudinally spaced positions onto the backing web 10 as soon as it has issued from the extruder for a distance suflicient so that the Web has substance adequate to receive and optionally to adhere to the pads. A retaining ply is preferably applied over the respective pads and may constitute a separately fabricated permeable continuous web 20, the side marginal portions 22, 24 of which may lie flat on the backing ply 10 as shown in FIG. 6 or may be folded under the successive pads 18 as shown in FIG. 4. Any desired means may be employed to anchor the margins 22 and 24 of the retaining ply to the backing web 10. Preferably I employ lines of adhesive 26 applied longitudinally to the backing web as the latter proceeds (see FIGS. 2, 5 and 6). However, if the backing ply is made by extrusion as above described, and the assembly continues without interruption, the extruded web may be self-adherent to the pad to position the pad without further means for adhesive connection of the backing web to the web or to the permeable web 20.

Desirably, the side portions 12 and 14 of the backing web are transversely slit inwardly by the pairs of slits shown at 28 and 30 in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, thereby separating tongues 32 and 34 from anchoring tabs 3 40 and 42. The tongues may conveniently be folded over the retaining ply 20 for the purpose of providing liquid confining flanges while retaining reinforcing anchorages at the corners. The resulting notches at 36 and 38 are adapted to receive the legs of an individual to whom the resulting diaper is applied.

When an infant is small, anchorage tab portions 40 and 42 at the ends of the resulting diaper may be folded transversely as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 to double their thickness and reduce overall length. If pins rather than adhesive strips are used to apply the diaper, it will be advantageous to have the tabs doubled in the areas where the pins are used to connect them adjacent the two ends of the diaper. However, the reinforcement of the margins provided by the thickening thereof in the course of extrusion is adequate to withstand safety pin tension thereon so that, when the infant is larger, the end portions may be unfolded from the position of FIGS. 8 and 9 to the position of FIG. 7.

I claim:

1. An absorbent article comprising an elongated pad of absorbent material and a like elongated supporting and moisture-impervious backing web of non-uniform transverse cross section, an intermediate portion of said web underlying the pad, said backing web having side marginal portioins projecting laterally beyond the pad and of relatively much greater thickness than the intermedaite portion of said backing web which underlies the pad, and means for retaining the pad in position on said backing web.

2. An absorbent article in accordance with claim in which the said side marginal portions of said web gradually increase in thickness progressively in opposite lateral directions from said intermediate portion toward the side edges of said web.

3. An article according to claim 1 in which the backing web is self-adherent to the pad and the said means for retaining the pad includes the inherent adhesion of the backing web thereto.

4. An article according to claim 1 in which the relatively thick side marginal portions of the backing web are laterally notched intermediate the ends of the pad.

5. An article according to claim 4 in which the notches form laterally projecting tabs at opposite ends of the article, tongues of the backing web material between the tabs extending up the sides of the pad.

6. An article according to claim 4 in which the means for positioning the pad upon the backing web comprises a pervious web marginally secured to the backing web.

7. An article according to claim 6 in which the pervious web has margins extending out flat in face contact with the backing web and connected thereto.

8. An article according to claim 6 in which the pervious web has margins reversely folded inwardly beneath adjacent lateral margins of the pad, whereby the surfaces of the pervious web exposed above the pad are turned inwardly into face contact with the backing web, and means for securing said surfaces to the backing web.

9. An article according to claim 5 in which means fastens end portions of the tongues in positions overlying the pad.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,531,900 11/1950 Andrews 128--287 2,914,069 11/1959 Osborn 128287 3,180,335 4/1965 Duncan et al. 128287 3,331,728 7/1967 Lane 128296 XR 3,369,545 2/1968 Wanberg 128-287 3,386,442 6/1968 Sabee 128287 3,402,715 9/ 1968 Liloia et al 128287 CHARLES F. ROSENBAUM, Primary Examiner 

